August 12, 2008
Rock/Creek Race Team Member Finishes 2nd in Wasatch Speedgoat 50k
Rock/Creek race team member John Anderson flew out to Utah for the mountainous Wasatch Speedgoat 50K. John gave an outstanding effort and finished in second, just 3 minutes behind the winner. Below is John's story of the race. If you are interested in John's other accomplishment, and the accomplishments of the entire Rock/Creek Race Team, visit their profiles at http://www.rockcreek.com/raceteam.
The Wasatch Speedgoat 50k is based out of Snowbird, Utah and you get the unique experience of being cheered on by people riding up on the tram. You also get the unique experience of feeling your legs go through pain, then numbness, then pain again, and thankfully back to numbness as the course ascends 10,500 ft and descends the same in 50k. The race is directed by Karl Meltzer (several time winner of the Hardrock 100 who will be attempting to break the AT speed record starting on August 9th), and he puts on a great quad smashing race.
We started the day in the cool Wasatch mountains and headed uphill for the initial 4500' climb. By the time we got halfway up there was a lead pack of 4 runners, and Nate McDowell and I chatted about our kids between trying to catch our breath. Luckily for me Nate's daughter has a longer name than my son so he had to talk more. By the time we got to the top, Nate had a couple minute lead on me, and we came crashing down Mt. Baldy, complete with ropes and spotters from Black Diamond and settled in for a long day in the mountains.
The next several hours were spent climbing and descending the newly designed race course, some of it off trail, some singletrack, some on forest service roads, a short stretch through the ski tunnel that connects Snowbird to Alta at around 10,000 ft, and even a little time rolling around on the ground. The La Sportiva Fireblades performed excellently again--perfect for the technical terrain and the steep descents.
When all was said and done, Nate won in 5:43 and I finished up in second in 5:56. Although I did manage to chuck a snowball at Nate as he climbed above me in the final ascent. My ankles are sore and my lips are chapped, but it was a stellar race with outstanding views (and next time I'll remember the lip balm...)
Gear List for race: Patagonia Airius Top, Patagonia Long Haul Runners, La Sportiva Fireblade shoes, Patagonia Ultra Lightweight Socks, Smith Factor polarized sunglasses, Nathan Quickdraw water bottle, and Nathan 10k Hip Pack.
--John
Events & Races , Products & Reviews , Staff Profiles | By bradmcallister | 3:57 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
August 8, 2008
Backpack Sale Ends Soon! Save 10-30% Today
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Food | Knives & Tools | Maps & Software | Pet Gear | Sleeping Pads | Stoves & Lanterns |
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Limited Edition Chaco Sandals !
Limited Edition Z/2 Sandals from Chaco.
$20 of your purchase goes directly to access.
Check it out today >
If you’ve been waiting to pick up a backpack for school, a day pack for those Fall hikes, or even a large travel or backpacking pack, now’s the time! Now until August 14, 2008, RockCreek.com is offering our entire line of backpacks and bags at 15-30% off. We have the highest-quality packs available to keep you comfortable no matter how many books you have to lug around or how long you’ll be in the backcountry. RockCreek stocks only the highest-quality packs from brands like The North Face, Deuter, Dakine, Arc’Teryx, Marmot, Gregory, and CamelBak.
Announcements , Products & Reviews , Sales & Promotions | By Mark McKnight | 11:33 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
August 7, 2008
Vote the Environment Video from Patagonia
Vote the environment this Fall. Video from Patagonia.
Trail Work, Access & Environment | By Mark McKnight | 2:44 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
August 4, 2008
Ruling Goes Against Commercial Removal of Rock From State Park
Chalk one up for the good guys! Late last week the Tennessee Court of Appeals struck down a decision by a lower court that would continue to allow a unobstructed access to minerals on lands owned by the State.
This is great news for hikers, backpackers and land conservationists in the area. Those who have been on the Soddy Daisy segment of the Cumberland trail have seen the destruction that these unfettered mining practices can do.
The full story behind this case is a little confusing, as is normally the case when mining rights come into question. To simplify, Tennessee law states that land rights are separated into two different categories; surface and mineral. Surface rights include the right to harvest trees from the land and the right to develop public accessible trail systems. Mineral rights include the right to mine minerals below the surface. Certainly there is an inherent conflict. How does the owner of the mineral rights get to their precious minerals without disrupting the surface? At what point does accessing mineral rights violate the owner of the surface rights?
This conflict was the source of a case that the State of Tennessee brought against a Florida based mining company in 2007. The State claimed that the owner of the mineral rights, Lahiere/Hill Partnership, violated the State's surface rights when they destroyed 70 to 100 yards of the Cumberland Trail while harvesting limestone. The State of Tennessee promptly filed suit. The case was first heard in the Hamilton County court system in 2007. The initial ruling by Chancellor Frank Brown allowed mining on public lands to continue. The state appealed and the case moved to the higher Appeals Court. Last wednesday, the Appeals Court made the decision to send the ruling back to the lower court on the grounds that the original court ruling misclassified stone as a mineral. Based on precedent setting documents and cases, Tennessee minerals include coal, iron, oil, gas, and precious metals. The classification does not include stone.
The ruling certainly doesn't solve all the issue related to strip mining on the Cumberland, but it is a step in the right direction.
Both
Nashville's Tennessen and Chattanooga's Times Free Press have articles on the case.
A similar issue has arisen on the federal level. Currently mining on federal lands, such as in national forests, is governed by laws that were written in 1872. These laws state that mining is the best use of land and allows mining companies full access to precious metals without having to pay royalties on the materials that they remove. It has essentially been a free ride for mining companies for over 130 years. The House of Representatives passed a bill that would update the antiquated laws. Now it is up to the Senate to agree on an update before the bill is signed by the President. More information on the modernization of the 1872 Mining Laws can be found in a previous blog post.
It is vital that we tell our Senators how important it is that we protect our lands from undue destruction of our public lands. We must show that our voices are stronger than the millions of lobbying dollars spent by private mining interests. Senator Bob Corker is on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. It is this committee that is assigned with putting together a bill that will be presented to the Senate floor. Please contact Sen. Corker and express how important it is to protect our lands.
Trail Work, Access & Environment | By bradmcallister | 10:46 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
August 1, 2008
20% Off Chacos Through August 2nd
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donate shoes, get 20% off Chacos Rock/Creek and Chaco invite you to swap your old (but clean) shoes, sport sandals or boots for a 20% discount on new Chaco Sandals. We’ll donate your old shoes to those in need and keep them out of landfills. how to give back… 1) Use coupon code “CHACORECYCLE08” |
The original value of your donated shoes should be roughly equivalent to that of your new pair of Chacos. Coupon does not apply to Chacos already on sale, but we’d still love to have your shoes to send.
where will my donated shoes go?
Footwear donated from the 2008 campaign will support the elimination of Hookworm anemia in Sub-Saharan African villages.
It has been estimated that as many as 1 in 3 people in Sub-Saharan Africa are affected by Hookworm anemia. The hookworm, a soil-born parasite, enters through bare feet and resides in the small intestine of its host. Within the intestine the hookworm feeds off its host supply. If the parasitic condition is left untreated, severe anemia and malnutrition will result. The condition will slowly advance until a blood transfusion becomes necessary for the infective individual’s survival.
In developing nations the cost of transfusion is often prohibitive and risky. Prevention, through the use of protective footwear, has been proven to prevent hookworm anemia.
Through the 2007 Chaco recycling program an entire village in Uganda was outfitted with shoes—a simple solution that completely eliminated hookworm anemia in the village.
In previous years the program has also supported communities in India and Nepal. Chaco’s program has also impacted communities closer to home. After hurricane Rita devastated the Gulf Coast region in September 2005, Chaco and participating retailers collected over 400 pairs of recycled footwear to distribute to displaced hurricane victims in affected areas of Louisiana.
Thanks to all those who donated to the 2007 program. This was our best year so far, with well over 100 pair of shoes recycled.
Please Send Your Donated Shoes to:
Rock/Creek
CHACO RECYCLE PROGRAM
4250 Benton Drive, Suite D
Chattanooga, TN 37406
1-888-707-6709
info@rockcreek.com
Announcements , Sales & Promotions , Trail Work, Access & Environment | By Mark McKnight | 10:51 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
July 31, 2008
La Sportiva supports Green Living Project, Document Sustainable Living in the Developing World
La Sportiva, manufacturer of rock climbing shoes, mountaineering and hiking boots and trail running shoes, announced last week the company's support for the Green Living Project (GLP). The Green Living Project is a film and lecture series project to document sustainability initiatives in developing areas of Africa. The North American leg of the series is currently out in California. If the series makes its way to the Southeast Rock/Creek will certainly let you know.
In addition to monetary support, La Sportiva has also donated footwear, such as the popular Fireblade trail runner, to the project.
Most news coverage about sustainability and global "greening" that American's receive centers around transportation (ethanol, biofuels), buildings (LEED, greenroofs), and federal policy (cap and trade) but there is a more subtle, yet equally powerful, movement spreading throughout the world. This movement attempts to help the developing world "leap-frog" the problems that have resulted from the rapid, environmentally unconscious developmental patterns that have plagued the west over the past 100 to 150 years. The goal of the Green Living Project is the documentation of small scale programs in the Third World. When combined these projects support wide-scale and drastic changes. Since I had never heard of the Green Living Project I took a moment to look into the project's website. I was impressed with the organization and the projects that they document - such as the creation of high efficiency home cooking briquettes from home waste materials. Like many of the other projects that the GLP features, this project creates local jobs and gives a sense of self-worth to the local community. This helps to build projects that move beyond the obvious environmental benefits and into the oft neglected social aspect of sustainability.
If you have a moment check out the Green Living Project website to learn about the little changes happening in Africa to help the world a become cleaner place.
La Sportiva Partners with Green Living Project
Boulder, Colo. July 21, 2008 - La Sportiva is partnering with Green Living Project, media production and marketing company that showcases sustainable initiatives around the globe. Green Living Project is documenting current examples of sustainability or 'green living' around the world. Green Living Project is currently traveling through Africa to pre-selected locations to take HD video, photographs, video podcasts, and stories of projects that illustrate the benefits of green living for all socio-economic classes.
Laura Fryer, La Sportiva's marketing manager said, "This relationship is completely in-line with our goals as a company. We established a corporate social responsibility platform that addressed workers rights, environmental impact, and philanthropy. It is only natural that part of our marketing efforts go towards sponsoring socially and environmentally responsible programs like Green Living Project."
To date, Green Living Project recently visited East Africa (Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania) where they documented 16 different projects that embraced different aspects of sustainability. They worked with local governments, non-profit organizations, private companies, and international conservation organizations such as the African Wildlife Foundation and The Gorilla Organization. Overall, these projects included sustainability themes such as renewable energy, organic farming, wildlife conservation, water conservation, responsible tourism, eco-lodges, volunteerism, and community development.
"La Sportiva makes some of the best hiking shoes in the industry, so we wanted to make sure we had quality and durable products to get us around East Africa. Their hiking shoes performed beautifully during our recent expedition. We look forward to using them again as we return to Southern Africa in October 2008, said Rob Holmes, founder & president of Green Living Project.
"In addition, we have been very impressed with their energy and enthusiasm for making La Sportiva a more sustainable and environmentally responsible company. In this day and age, it is so important for all companies to analyze their total impact on the environment in order to see what steps can be made to be more responsible. La Sportiva is doing just that and we have been impressed," continued Holmes.
The Key Goals for each expedition include:
1. Sustainability: Increase awareness of successful sustainability projects around the world
2. Exposure: Increase exposure and awareness of unique Partner Projects embracing sustainability
3. Education: Educate individuals and communities on living a more sustainable lifestyle
4. Entertainment: Entertain & inspire individuals via professional and interactive multi-media content
Following this first African expedition, Green Living Project will use the video and imagery it captures in a multi-media tour. Green Living Project will visit multiple R.E.I., L.L. Bean, Eastern Mountain Sports, and other public venues around the country.
ABOUT LA SPORTIVA
Celebrating their 80th anniversary, La Sportiva brings a strong alpine mountaineering and climbing heritage to their line of performance mountain footwear. This core experience enables La Sportiva to offer the most versatile technical climbing, mountaineering, Mountain Running and hiking shoes on the market. For more information on La Sportiva visit www.sportiva.com or see us on Facebook.
About Green Living Project
Green Living Project (GLP) is a media production, marketing and entertainment company that showcases sustainable initiatives around the globe. Through photojournalism and HD video, GLP aims to educate, inspire and entertain while encouraging individuals and communities to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle. In 2008, Green Living Project™ highlights Africa, documenting projects administered by leading non-profits, eco-lodges, conservation organizations, travel companies and local tourism boards. GLP promotes thes projects on its website and through an international lecture series launched in partnership with National Geographic Adventure, Recreational Equipment, Inc. (R.E.I.), and other strategic partners. For more information, please visit www.greenlivingproject.com.
| By bradmcallister | 11:50 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
